Clash between Hindus and Sikhs in Pak averted

Islamabad: A clash between Hindus and Sikhs over objectionable photos in Pakistan`s southern Sindh province was averted after community leaders helped broker a compromise, according to a media report on Thursday.

Despite the understanding reached by the two sides, the Sikhs, who are a smaller minority in the Shikarpur area of Sindh, felt threatened by local Hindus, the Dawn newspaper quoted its sources as saying.

The trouble began after Sikh students shared some photos of a recent mela in Jai Samadha Ashram in Shikarpur.

The Ashram, which houses both the Gita and Guru Granth Sahib, is frequented by Hindus and Sikhs.

After the photos were circulated on Facebook, the issue created a furore among Sikhs, who contacted their local leaders.

The head of the Pakistan Hindu Council, Ramesh Singh, led a 22-member team to Shikarpur to sort out the matter.

"Young men were ready to fight and kill each other if we hadn`t reached in time," he said.
The matter was resolved after the community leaders spoke to both sides.

Tara Singh, head of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdhwara Prabandhak Committee, said his community wanted peace to prevail between the two groups.

"We don`t want the situation to get out of hand. And (we) believe in forgive and forget," he said.

SSP Parvez Ahmed Chandio said an inquiry has been ordered and a report would be received in three days.

The head of the Delhi Dharam Parchar Committee in India wrote a letter to the Pakistan High Commission and the head of the Evacuee Trust Property Board in Islamabad, which is responsible for managing the shrines of minority communities, to look into the matter.